by Joyce
Everyone's heard the old piece of writing advice, only write what you know.
Hogwash. Or if you prefer something stronger, bullshit.
If I sat down to write a book, or short story, or even an article, and only wrote what I know, it would be terribly boring. I'd have to write about a middle-aged woman living in the suburbs with a husband and two grown sons, whose days consist of checking email, reading blogs, writing, cleaning, cooking, and on occasion, cleaning up cat puke. Not exactly a compelling story.
A better piece of advice is to write what you love.
What are your passions? Let's say you love boats and water. Your nearest body of water is a tiny creek a mile away, and owning any kind of boat, let alone a large one would require hitting the Powerball jackpot. But in your daydreams you can feel the warm ocean breeze on your face as you glide over the sparkling turquoise water. You look stunning in your white capris and striped navy and white tank. Or if you're a man, you look just like Tom Selleck in his Magnum days. Personally, I'd look stunning in the capris and Tom would be standing beside me. Or better yet, behind me. His hands touch my shoulders. He turns me around to face him... Oops. Sorry. Got carried away there.
Ahem. Back to my point.
In your real life, the above would never happen. You don't know a thing about boats or boating. If you stick to the only write what you know theory, you shouldn't write it. But if you really think about it, how many successful writers follow that principle? I counted zero. Zero. Most writers incorporate what they know with what they love, or at the very least, things that interest them. After all, anything can be researched.
Do you think Nancy Martin is a bad girl with mobsters for relatives? Wrong. Nancy's a nice, happily married woman, and as far as I know, there are no mobsters in her family. Nancy is a Pittsburgher, so she's combined that real-life setting with her penchant for creating interesting characters and situations.
Do you think Jennie Bentley remodels houses with a hunky guy named Derek? Not that I know of. Unless that's her husband's name. I'm pretty sure she's never found bones buried in her basement, or been locked in a tunnel room with a corpse. Jennie has a background in real estate and combines her knowledge of houses with her vivid imagination.
And what about Wilfred Bereswill? His protagonist is a female. Even though Will looks fabulous in a dress (yes, I had to bring that up again!), he's not a woman. I'm sure his wife will verify this. Will uses his environmental engineering background to come up with fascinating terrorists and worst-case scenarios.
I could go on and on.
Think about your favorite authors. How do they write what they love? How do they combine that with what they know?
How do you do that in your own writing?
Be sure to come back tomorrow when we're joined by guest blogger Kate Douglas, who will be giving us all advice on never giving up. Kate is the author of the paranormal romance, DemonFire, the first in a new series.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Never Stop Learning
by Annette Dashofy
My mother has never been able to figure it out. When I was in school, I was a lazy student. Hated to study. Did my homework on the bus. Made decent grades, but never really worked at it. However, once I graduated and started taking various assorted oddball classes and courses, I suddenly became an honor student. Emergency medical training? I aced it. Adult education computer classes from the community college? 4.0 GPA.
I love workshops and online classes. I adore writing conferences and retreats. Decades after my “formal” education ended, I could happily be a fulltime professional student.
Education is wasted on the young. Or at least it was in my case.
Anyhow, since we’re talking about writing advice, my point is this: never stop learning.
I really believe the more we know, the more we have to learn. When I started writing, I thought it was easy. Okay, you may stop laughing now. I figured out how wrong I was in very short order. Since then, I can’t begin to count how many writing courses and workshops I’ve taken.
And I still have sooo much to learn. That’s why I’ll be trekking to our local Sisters in Crime writers’ retreat this weekend. Trekking? From the looks of the forecast, I may be canoeing in. I don’t care. I’ll be there with pen and notepad and laptop ready to soak in everything I possibly can.
So my advice is to find a writing course or workshop and sign up. There are some really good ones online that won’t break your budget.
(I should mention, I’m currently dealing with an online course curse, but that’s a subject for another blog.)
Look for a writers’ conference. The 2010 Pennwriters Conference is only a few short months away and it’s one of the best. I can say that this year, because unlike last year, I’m not coordinating it. Mwahaha.
And read. I know Gina already mentioned that on Monday, and I totally agree with her. But for the purpose of this blog, I mean read books on craft. There are some great ones out there that cover all aspects of the process.
No matter where you are in your writing career, there’s always something else to learn. Go for it!
My mother has never been able to figure it out. When I was in school, I was a lazy student. Hated to study. Did my homework on the bus. Made decent grades, but never really worked at it. However, once I graduated and started taking various assorted oddball classes and courses, I suddenly became an honor student. Emergency medical training? I aced it. Adult education computer classes from the community college? 4.0 GPA.
I love workshops and online classes. I adore writing conferences and retreats. Decades after my “formal” education ended, I could happily be a fulltime professional student.
Education is wasted on the young. Or at least it was in my case.
Anyhow, since we’re talking about writing advice, my point is this: never stop learning.
I really believe the more we know, the more we have to learn. When I started writing, I thought it was easy. Okay, you may stop laughing now. I figured out how wrong I was in very short order. Since then, I can’t begin to count how many writing courses and workshops I’ve taken.
And I still have sooo much to learn. That’s why I’ll be trekking to our local Sisters in Crime writers’ retreat this weekend. Trekking? From the looks of the forecast, I may be canoeing in. I don’t care. I’ll be there with pen and notepad and laptop ready to soak in everything I possibly can.
So my advice is to find a writing course or workshop and sign up. There are some really good ones online that won’t break your budget.
(I should mention, I’m currently dealing with an online course curse, but that’s a subject for another blog.)
Look for a writers’ conference. The 2010 Pennwriters Conference is only a few short months away and it’s one of the best. I can say that this year, because unlike last year, I’m not coordinating it. Mwahaha.
And read. I know Gina already mentioned that on Monday, and I totally agree with her. But for the purpose of this blog, I mean read books on craft. There are some great ones out there that cover all aspects of the process.
No matter where you are in your writing career, there’s always something else to learn. Go for it!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
The "Three Ps"
We're delighted to welcome today's guest blogger, Sheila Connolly, whose sixth mystery "Red Delicious Death" was released just last week.
By Guest Blogger Sheila Connolly
Thanks for having me here today!
All the motivational words I live by seem to be "P" words: persistence, perseverance, and patience.
Writing was one of those things I thought I would do someday. Eventually. I had plenty of time, right? I'd always loved reading, so I assumed I knew everything I could ever need to write a book.
The reality was, I had no idea how to set down tens of thousands of words in a way that would make a book. I had no clue about structure or plotting or even word count. So what happened? 9/11, for one thing. That single event made it clear to me that you never know what life is going to throw at you, so you'd better do what you really wanted to–now.
So I wrote a book. I won't tell you it was a good book, but at least I finished it.
I know, you'll hate me, but I never found it hard to write. Once I started, I couldn't stop myself: words just gushed out all over the place. I didn't agonize over every adverb or semicolon; I didn't polish every paragraph before moving on to the next one. Nope, I spewed words. I was having a wonderful time.
Then came the next step–actually selling something. That's a lot harder, both because I had to learn the ropes about agents and submissions–and rejection. In the beginning, when you aren't plugged into all the blogs and loops and websites where writers and agents generously share information, you don't realize just how much rejection there is in this business. I wonder how many aspiring writers just give up, after the first ten or fifty or even hundred soul-numbing rejections?
I didn't, because my love of writing outweighed my fear of rejection. I kept at it, both revising and polishing my first manuscripts and trying out different things. I experimented with romantic suspense and mystery genres; I dabbled in both funny and dark stories; I wrote in first person and third person.
It took almost exactly five years (from September 2001 to September 2006) to sell a book. My first book, Through a Glass, Deadly, written under the name Sarah Atwell, came out in March 2008. The Orchard Mysteries, written as me, came very quickly after that. This month, my sixth book, Red Delicious Death, was published. I've got two more books coming out this year, including the first of a new series, and more under contract after that. It's been a whirlwind!
Sheila Connolly writes the Orchard Mystery series, is launching the Museum Mysteries series this fall, and authors the Glassblowing Mystery series as Sarah Atwell -- all published by Berkley Prime Crime. She was an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel and is VP of the Sisters in Crime-New England chapter. You can learn more about Sheila at www.sheilaconnolly.com, www.sarahatwellwriter.com, or www.poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com.
By Guest Blogger Sheila Connolly
All the motivational words I live by seem to be "P" words: persistence, perseverance, and patience.
Writing was one of those things I thought I would do someday. Eventually. I had plenty of time, right? I'd always loved reading, so I assumed I knew everything I could ever need to write a book.
The reality was, I had no idea how to set down tens of thousands of words in a way that would make a book. I had no clue about structure or plotting or even word count. So what happened? 9/11, for one thing. That single event made it clear to me that you never know what life is going to throw at you, so you'd better do what you really wanted to–now.
So I wrote a book. I won't tell you it was a good book, but at least I finished it.
I know, you'll hate me, but I never found it hard to write. Once I started, I couldn't stop myself: words just gushed out all over the place. I didn't agonize over every adverb or semicolon; I didn't polish every paragraph before moving on to the next one. Nope, I spewed words. I was having a wonderful time.
Then came the next step–actually selling something. That's a lot harder, both because I had to learn the ropes about agents and submissions–and rejection. In the beginning, when you aren't plugged into all the blogs and loops and websites where writers and agents generously share information, you don't realize just how much rejection there is in this business. I wonder how many aspiring writers just give up, after the first ten or fifty or even hundred soul-numbing rejections?
I didn't, because my love of writing outweighed my fear of rejection. I kept at it, both revising and polishing my first manuscripts and trying out different things. I experimented with romantic suspense and mystery genres; I dabbled in both funny and dark stories; I wrote in first person and third person.
It took almost exactly five years (from September 2001 to September 2006) to sell a book. My first book, Through a Glass, Deadly, written under the name Sarah Atwell, came out in March 2008. The Orchard Mysteries, written as me, came very quickly after that. This month, my sixth book, Red Delicious Death, was published. I've got two more books coming out this year, including the first of a new series, and more under contract after that. It's been a whirlwind!None of these books has been a best-seller. I haven't appeared on Oprah. I haven't won fabulous awards that give me instant name recognition. Strangers don't stop me on the street and ask for my autograph. No, I write cozy mysteries for people like me, and they sell well enough to satisfy my publisher (I hope!). Readers write me to tell me nice things. I get to go to conferences and hang out with writers I have read and admired for years (and I'm still awe-struck that sometimes they even talk to me!).
And I still love writing. That's what keeps me going, through all the tedious business of promotion and getting your name out there whenever and wherever possible–all the "business" side of writing. Sitting down at my laptop with a new story in my head is the part that makes it all worthwhile, and I hope that never changes.
Sheila Connolly writes the Orchard Mystery series, is launching the Museum Mysteries series this fall, and authors the Glassblowing Mystery series as Sarah Atwell -- all published by Berkley Prime Crime. She was an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel and is VP of the Sisters in Crime-New England chapter. You can learn more about Sheila at www.sheilaconnolly.com, www.sarahatwellwriter.com, or www.poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com.
Monday, March 08, 2010
BUILDING A BOOK
by Gina Sestak
This month, we're focusing on the best writing advice we've received. I have received so much good writing advice that it's hard to know what to repeat here, so I decided to start with the most basic advice to writers: Read. Read the kind of book you're working on. Read other kinds of books. Read magazine articles. Read poetry. Read short stories. Read the ingredients on the ketchup label. Read everything.
Reading as a writer differs from reading for pleasure, although it can still be fun. When we read for pleasure, we want to be entertained. We ask, "Why did that character do that?" or "What will happen next?" When we read as writers, we ask, "How did the writer do this -- create the scene, engage my interest, make the character come to life?" It's a lot like looking at houses.
When we look at houses for pleasure, we may think, "What pretty wallpaper." When we are considering building a house ourselves, however, we need to know about those things that run behind the walls, the pipes and wires and ducts without which the house would be only a non-functional shell. We need to know how to use tools.
We need to know how to make a thin brick wall stay upright and where to place the lathes. We need to become familiar with dry wall and spackle, pvc and switchplates. We need to learn how to build a firm foundation that will support the structure, and to install a basement that won't leak. We need to pick the right small things, the nails and bolts and nuts, and to place them just exactly right.
Writing a book is similar. One page of pretty paper will not be enough. We have to understand how to intermesh plot and character to form the strong supporting structure, and to allow our characters to change and grow. We have to learn the arcane rules of grammar and spelling. We have to broaden our vocabularies so the perfect word will be there when we need it. We have to understand the tools of our trade, the pen and the paper and the word processing software. We have to know how to find information on the internet or in the library. We have to eavesdrop on ordinary conversations to learn how people express themselves. We have to immerse ourselves in real-life experiences to give our characters authenticity.
We have to build a book the way we would build a house. Brick by brick and word by word.
This month, we're focusing on the best writing advice we've received. I have received so much good writing advice that it's hard to know what to repeat here, so I decided to start with the most basic advice to writers: Read. Read the kind of book you're working on. Read other kinds of books. Read magazine articles. Read poetry. Read short stories. Read the ingredients on the ketchup label. Read everything.
Reading as a writer differs from reading for pleasure, although it can still be fun. When we read for pleasure, we want to be entertained. We ask, "Why did that character do that?" or "What will happen next?" When we read as writers, we ask, "How did the writer do this -- create the scene, engage my interest, make the character come to life?" It's a lot like looking at houses.
When we look at houses for pleasure, we may think, "What pretty wallpaper." When we are considering building a house ourselves, however, we need to know about those things that run behind the walls, the pipes and wires and ducts without which the house would be only a non-functional shell. We need to know how to use tools.
Writing a book is similar. One page of pretty paper will not be enough. We have to understand how to intermesh plot and character to form the strong supporting structure, and to allow our characters to change and grow. We have to learn the arcane rules of grammar and spelling. We have to broaden our vocabularies so the perfect word will be there when we need it. We have to understand the tools of our trade, the pen and the paper and the word processing software. We have to know how to find information on the internet or in the library. We have to eavesdrop on ordinary conversations to learn how people express themselves. We have to immerse ourselves in real-life experiences to give our characters authenticity.
We have to build a book the way we would build a house. Brick by brick and word by word.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
The More You Know...
by Jennie Bentley
So we’re talking about writing advice, and about what keeps us motivated to write, this month.
To be honest, motivation’s no problem for me. I have contracts and deadlines, and if I don’t deliver manuscripts on time, I get in trouble. Writing’s my job, and I treat it as such. I try to write every day. Some days I can’t, for whatever reason, but other than that, I go to work. If I don’t write – i.e. actually add words to whatever WIP I’m on – I revise, or research, or proofread, or do something else related.
Of course I didn’t always have contracts and deadlines, and back then, I had to self-motivate. Basically, I wanted to get published bad enough that I found the time and incentive somewhere. Sometimes I got discouraged and didn’t write for a few days, until I got so bottled up that it was down to a choice between going back to writing or suffering spontaneous combustion.
Which brings me to writing advice #1: If you can not write, don’t write.
Note, I didn’t say, ‘can’t.’ If you can’t write, you’re welcome to keep doing it. Unless you improve, you probably won’t get published, but I’m not going to tell you that you can’t keep writing. What I mean is, if you can stop writing, you should consider not writing, because if you don’t love it enough, if you don’t have an absolute need to do it, if you don’t feel like you’re going to explode from the voices talking in your head if you don’t put things down on paper or screen, you may not have what it takes to make it through the process.
Moving past the fact of whether you should be writing or not, let’s just assume you’ve decided you are going to write. Here’s writing advice #2: Write every day.
OR write as often as you can. Like I said, I’m not a stickler. There are times when I can’t write. Stuff interferes: kids and pets get sick, cars crash, snow falls so school gets cancelled, a book is released and I get busy promoting... it’s all part of life. Bottom line, though: if you want to get published, you have to have written a book (or something else, but we’re all book writers here, so let’s just go with that), and the only way to do that, is to keep adding words to the WIP.
1,000 words a day = a manuscript in three months.
500 words a day = a manuscript in six months.
1 page a day = a manuscript in under a year.
I try for 1,000 words a day. Usually I get there, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I write 5,000 or 6,000 words in a day. It all depends.
Moving on to writing advice #3: AIC = ass in chair.
When you’ve decided you’re writing, during the thirty minutes or hour or half a day you’ve set aside for yourself, don’t get distracted from writing. If someone’s bleeding or the house is on fire, obviously you’ll have to stop. But if the words aren’t flowing the way you’d like, stay there in the chair and keep plugging. Write something. Even if you end up revising it later, you’ll feel better if you move forward and meet your goal.
(Side note: I don’t believe in writer’s block. If you’re stuck, it’s my belief you’ve gone off on a tangent where you don’t need to be, and you’ve written yourself into a corner. Cut back to where you know where you’re going again, and you’ll be fine.)
Writing advice #4: Finish something. The only way you’ll get published – with exceptions, because there are always exceptions – is by having a finished manuscript. Even if you’re an exception, and someone agrees to sign a book by you based on an idea or a proposal, you’ll have to finish the manuscript sooner or later. Of all the people out there who say they want to write a book, the ones who actually finish the manuscript are few and far between. If you finish, you’re already ahead of all the people who didn’t.
As for the best writing advice I personally ever got... well, it wasn’t really a nice and neat piece of advice. The best thing that ever happened to me as a budding writer was meeting the wonderful Tasha Alexander, who’s one of the nicest people in the world, and a brilliant writer to boot. And what she did for me wasn’t give me one facile piece of advice that helped me get through; instead, she talked to me about the publishing industry, and explained how it all works. She listened to my ideas and brainstormed plots with me, she critiqued my manuscript, she read my query letter, she helped me make lists of agents to send it to... she was my mentor, and my inspiration, and my sounding board, as well as my friend.
Writing advice #5: Find yourself a Tasha. Someone who knows more than you do, who can help you navigate the morass.
And while you’re at it, Writing advice #6: Find some friends who are in the same boat you are, so you can encourage one another. Writing is a lonely business, and we can all use all the encouragement we can get.
If you don’t have a mentor, someone who already knows the ropes, you’re gonna have to figure it out on your own. Writing advice #7: Do your homework. There are so many writers and agent blogs out there, so many websites with info on how the publishing industry works, so many organizations you can join, that there’s no excuse for not knowing everything you can possibly know about the business you’re looking to enter. Like the TV commercials say, “The more you know...”
So there you have it. More writing advice than you ever wanted to hear. And now you'll have to excuse me, as I have to get back to work. It's an AIC day for me.
Till next time!
So we’re talking about writing advice, and about what keeps us motivated to write, this month.
To be honest, motivation’s no problem for me. I have contracts and deadlines, and if I don’t deliver manuscripts on time, I get in trouble. Writing’s my job, and I treat it as such. I try to write every day. Some days I can’t, for whatever reason, but other than that, I go to work. If I don’t write – i.e. actually add words to whatever WIP I’m on – I revise, or research, or proofread, or do something else related.
Of course I didn’t always have contracts and deadlines, and back then, I had to self-motivate. Basically, I wanted to get published bad enough that I found the time and incentive somewhere. Sometimes I got discouraged and didn’t write for a few days, until I got so bottled up that it was down to a choice between going back to writing or suffering spontaneous combustion.
Which brings me to writing advice #1: If you can not write, don’t write.
Note, I didn’t say, ‘can’t.’ If you can’t write, you’re welcome to keep doing it. Unless you improve, you probably won’t get published, but I’m not going to tell you that you can’t keep writing. What I mean is, if you can stop writing, you should consider not writing, because if you don’t love it enough, if you don’t have an absolute need to do it, if you don’t feel like you’re going to explode from the voices talking in your head if you don’t put things down on paper or screen, you may not have what it takes to make it through the process.
Moving past the fact of whether you should be writing or not, let’s just assume you’ve decided you are going to write. Here’s writing advice #2: Write every day.
OR write as often as you can. Like I said, I’m not a stickler. There are times when I can’t write. Stuff interferes: kids and pets get sick, cars crash, snow falls so school gets cancelled, a book is released and I get busy promoting... it’s all part of life. Bottom line, though: if you want to get published, you have to have written a book (or something else, but we’re all book writers here, so let’s just go with that), and the only way to do that, is to keep adding words to the WIP.
1,000 words a day = a manuscript in three months.
500 words a day = a manuscript in six months.
1 page a day = a manuscript in under a year.
I try for 1,000 words a day. Usually I get there, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I write 5,000 or 6,000 words in a day. It all depends.
Moving on to writing advice #3: AIC = ass in chair.
When you’ve decided you’re writing, during the thirty minutes or hour or half a day you’ve set aside for yourself, don’t get distracted from writing. If someone’s bleeding or the house is on fire, obviously you’ll have to stop. But if the words aren’t flowing the way you’d like, stay there in the chair and keep plugging. Write something. Even if you end up revising it later, you’ll feel better if you move forward and meet your goal.
(Side note: I don’t believe in writer’s block. If you’re stuck, it’s my belief you’ve gone off on a tangent where you don’t need to be, and you’ve written yourself into a corner. Cut back to where you know where you’re going again, and you’ll be fine.)
Writing advice #4: Finish something. The only way you’ll get published – with exceptions, because there are always exceptions – is by having a finished manuscript. Even if you’re an exception, and someone agrees to sign a book by you based on an idea or a proposal, you’ll have to finish the manuscript sooner or later. Of all the people out there who say they want to write a book, the ones who actually finish the manuscript are few and far between. If you finish, you’re already ahead of all the people who didn’t.
As for the best writing advice I personally ever got... well, it wasn’t really a nice and neat piece of advice. The best thing that ever happened to me as a budding writer was meeting the wonderful Tasha Alexander, who’s one of the nicest people in the world, and a brilliant writer to boot. And what she did for me wasn’t give me one facile piece of advice that helped me get through; instead, she talked to me about the publishing industry, and explained how it all works. She listened to my ideas and brainstormed plots with me, she critiqued my manuscript, she read my query letter, she helped me make lists of agents to send it to... she was my mentor, and my inspiration, and my sounding board, as well as my friend.
Writing advice #5: Find yourself a Tasha. Someone who knows more than you do, who can help you navigate the morass.
And while you’re at it, Writing advice #6: Find some friends who are in the same boat you are, so you can encourage one another. Writing is a lonely business, and we can all use all the encouragement we can get.
If you don’t have a mentor, someone who already knows the ropes, you’re gonna have to figure it out on your own. Writing advice #7: Do your homework. There are so many writers and agent blogs out there, so many websites with info on how the publishing industry works, so many organizations you can join, that there’s no excuse for not knowing everything you can possibly know about the business you’re looking to enter. Like the TV commercials say, “The more you know...”
So there you have it. More writing advice than you ever wanted to hear. And now you'll have to excuse me, as I have to get back to work. It's an AIC day for me.
Till next time!
The Bad Kitty Lounge: Open for Business
Working Stiffs is happy to have author Michael Wiley as our guest today. Welcome, Michael! One lucky commenter has the chance to win a copy
of Michael's new book. The winner will be
chosen at random tomorrow!
By Guest Blogger Michael Wiley
Two days ago, St. Martin’s Minotaur released my new mystery THE BAD KITTY LOUNGE, and I would like to say that a roar overwhelmed me as a crowd of thousands poured through the lounge doors demanding to know what was happening, who was killing whom, who was lying between whose legs, and what my private detective Joe Kozmarski was doing about it. I would like to say at least that a couple of hundred excited readers flung the door open, startling me as I stood behind the bar. I would even be content to say that the door creaked open once, and a lost reader entered and asked for directions to Michael Connelly’s house.
The truth is, I don’t know how many readers arrived and won’t know with any certainty until hard numbers start to come in sometime in a month or two. I can check Amazon five times a day. I can check Publisher’s Alley, which tracks certain sales in certain markets. But the information from such sites is incomplete and ambiguous. The reality is that I’m standing in the newly opened Bad Kitty Lounge and don’t know how many drinks have been ordered. The feeling is disconcerting.
That said, I love release day. I love the metaphorical possibilities, as if a book has been released from prison, as if its bottled up tension has been released, as if it has obtained balloon-like, gravity-defying freedom. I love these possibilities even as the reality is that some books (not mine, I’m glad to say; not yet) never get beyond the prison walls before being re-incarcerated, being re-bottled, falling like bricks to the ground. The reality, in other words, is that some books don’t sell. But on release day that potential future sadness is all in the unforeseeable distance. So, I feel like jumping up and down on a sofa like Tom Cruise doing his Katie Holmes spot on Oprah. But instead, I’m here at the Bad Kitty Lounge – maybe alone, maybe with a crowd of readers (I don’t know) – quietly enjoying my surroundings. If others have come, they’ll get to know the people who work here with me. One’s a dead nun. Another’s a retired prostitute. Others include a blues guitarist, a real estate mogul, and a criminal forensics specialist. Good people, all of them – friends who’ve been with me since I wrote the first pages of this book. They like a party, too; they like crowds. They’ll welcome all who come.
Michael Wiley is the PWA award-winning, Shamus-nominated writer of the Joe Kozmarski mysteries THE LAST STRIPTEASE (2007) and THE BAD KITTY LOUNGE (2010). He lives with his family in Jacksonville, Florida. You can see more about Michael and his books on his website: http://www.michaelwileyonline.com/
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
999 Blogs on the Wall...
by Annette Dashofy
It has been pointed out to me that this is our 999th blog post at Working Stiffs. Depending on how you count them, it could even be our 1000th. But I like 999 better, if only because it gives me a better title.
Either way, it represents the piece of advice I thought I’d share today. And that is: the only definite way to NOT get published is to quit writing.
This whole writing-revising-querying-submitting-getting rejected carousel can be maddening and extremely frustrating. So much so that I’ve seen many extremely talented writers give up and get off the ride.
At my very first writer’s conference, a top agent spoke and offered a tale of how the normal writing career progresses. You start out getting form rejection letters. Lots of them. Then, as you improve your craft, you start getting a few form rejections letters with a bit of handwritten encouragement at the bottom. Next comes the personalized rejections, which gradually get to be nicer and nicer. “I really love your writing, but…” Fill in the blank. The agent said that these incredibly nice rejections can be the most painful, because by then you’ve been at it so long. And if it’s so darned good and you love it so darned much, why don’t you accept the thing???
And at that point many writers throw up their hands in defeat and give up.
Which is just sad.
I admit at the time I heard this agent speak, I was at the beginning of the journey and still held on to the fantasy that I was the next Stephen King. Okay, okay, you can all stop laughing now.
It’s been a rough winter in many ways. I went through a spell of frustration with the direction my writing career was going. Or not going. I finally understood what drove some of those excellent writers to throw in the towel.
But I’m over it now. I reminded myself of that old bit of advice about the one sure way to NOT get published.
So, like Working Stiffs, I’m hanging in there. I’m revising and then revising the revisions. I’m preparing to get back on the querying-submitting-getting rejected merry-go-round ride.
Nine-hundred ninety-nine (or 1,000) and still going strong.
It has been pointed out to me that this is our 999th blog post at Working Stiffs. Depending on how you count them, it could even be our 1000th. But I like 999 better, if only because it gives me a better title.
Either way, it represents the piece of advice I thought I’d share today. And that is: the only definite way to NOT get published is to quit writing.
This whole writing-revising-querying-submitting-getting rejected carousel can be maddening and extremely frustrating. So much so that I’ve seen many extremely talented writers give up and get off the ride.
At my very first writer’s conference, a top agent spoke and offered a tale of how the normal writing career progresses. You start out getting form rejection letters. Lots of them. Then, as you improve your craft, you start getting a few form rejections letters with a bit of handwritten encouragement at the bottom. Next comes the personalized rejections, which gradually get to be nicer and nicer. “I really love your writing, but…” Fill in the blank. The agent said that these incredibly nice rejections can be the most painful, because by then you’ve been at it so long. And if it’s so darned good and you love it so darned much, why don’t you accept the thing???
And at that point many writers throw up their hands in defeat and give up.
Which is just sad.
I admit at the time I heard this agent speak, I was at the beginning of the journey and still held on to the fantasy that I was the next Stephen King. Okay, okay, you can all stop laughing now.
It’s been a rough winter in many ways. I went through a spell of frustration with the direction my writing career was going. Or not going. I finally understood what drove some of those excellent writers to throw in the towel.
But I’m over it now. I reminded myself of that old bit of advice about the one sure way to NOT get published.
So, like Working Stiffs, I’m hanging in there. I’m revising and then revising the revisions. I’m preparing to get back on the querying-submitting-getting rejected merry-go-round ride.
Nine-hundred ninety-nine (or 1,000) and still going strong.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Happy Release Day to Me! Happy Release Day to Me! Happy Release Day to Jennie; Happy Release Day to Me!!!
by Jennie Bentley
Nobody posted anything this morning, and you know what that means, don't you?
It's mine, all mine! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Today is release day for DIY-3, Plaster and Poison. It should be in a store near you at some point today. However, since it's a good day, and since I'm feeling magnanimous and happy - and since I received my author copies early this time! - I'm going to give you a chance to win your very own copy of Plaster and Poison. (Or, if you prefer, Fatal-Fixer Upper, DIY-1 or Spackled and Spooked, DIY-2, if you haven't yet tried the other books in the series and you want to start at the beginning.) All you have to do is leave a comment saying something nice, like "Congratulations, Jennie!" and you're automatically entered.
Chasing Heroes has a nice little profile of Derek Ellis, who's the love interest in the DIY series, today. He's good with his hands and has powertools, and what more could anyone want?
I'll be back tonight to announce the winner of today's little drawing. And after that I'll be back on Friday for my regularly scheduled appearance. Right now I'm off to check a few bookstores and catch my baby in the wild. See you later!
Nobody posted anything this morning, and you know what that means, don't you?
It's mine, all mine! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Today is release day for DIY-3, Plaster and Poison. It should be in a store near you at some point today. However, since it's a good day, and since I'm feeling magnanimous and happy - and since I received my author copies early this time! - I'm going to give you a chance to win your very own copy of Plaster and Poison. (Or, if you prefer, Fatal-Fixer Upper, DIY-1 or Spackled and Spooked, DIY-2, if you haven't yet tried the other books in the series and you want to start at the beginning.) All you have to do is leave a comment saying something nice, like "Congratulations, Jennie!" and you're automatically entered. If you don't win a book here, there's a chance to win one over on Books on the House, that runs all week long. There's a Q&A with me over there too, that's sort of interesting.
And finally, the history mystery in Plaster and Poison has a very interesting backstory, one that's frankly somewhat unbelievable; you can read all about it on Fresh Fiction on Thursday; that's when they're posting my story.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Writing Advice from Dan Brown
Note: I'm kicking off our month of "March into Spring and Beyond" as we share favorite writing advice and/or words of inspiration to help us all meet our 2010 writing goals!
By Pat Remick
Because Dan Brown lives in the next town -- yes, I'm referring to the Dan Brown of "The DaVinci Code" fame -- it's not unusual to see him out and about when he's taking a break from writing bestsellers. It was during an unexpected encounter at a local bookstore that my husband seized the opportunity to ask the author about the ending to "Angels Demons," which had been troubling him for some time.
"Could someone actually survive by using a cape as a parachute when they jumped out of a helicopter?" my husband, also a writer, asked after introducing himself.
Brown's response? "Well, first of all, it's a novel.... but yes, it's theoretically possible."
(This photo was taken outside a private "Angels & Demons" screening he hosted at the Portsmouth (NH) Music Hall. We weren't invited.)
Even though I agree with Husband No. 1 that Robert Langdon's cape escape stretches the limits of believability, I also understand how liberating it can be to make up stories about whatever you want. Writing experts often advise authors to "write what you know." But how interesting are the things Pat Remick and most writers know? Maybe it's better to follow the advice of those who instead say "write what you can imagine." And if someone questions your story, you can always be like Dan Brown and respond, "Well, first of all, it's a novel."
For a former reporter well-schooled in the "get it first, but get it right" school of journalism, writing mostly from imagination does require a giant leap of faith. I admit it's sometimes difficult to ignore my news training when I'm writing fiction, which can result in spending far too much of my writing time researching minutiae for short stories and my novel-in-progress.
Maybe we should all take a lesson from Dan Brown's phenomenal success: If writers can tell a great story, readers are more likely to be forgiving when it comes to the pesky details or nagging doubts about the credibility of a plot.
On the other hand, I often think that if we were to put some of the bizarre/outlandish/improbable things that happen in real life into a novel, editors would most likely reject it on grounds the plot was implausible. The John Edwards affair/downfall is a great example. Who would believe that a man running for president of the United States and whose wife has terminal cancer would be running around with some videographer he supposedly met in a bar? The believability index really plummets when you add in the angle that an Edwards aide and his young family sheltered the candidate's pregnant mistress. "You've got to be kidding" would be the normal response.
But here's how some of the writing experts might explain it: "Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."
What do you think? Does fiction have to make sense?
By Pat Remick
Because Dan Brown lives in the next town -- yes, I'm referring to the Dan Brown of "The DaVinci Code" fame -- it's not unusual to see him out and about when he's taking a break from writing bestsellers. It was during an unexpected encounter at a local bookstore that my husband seized the opportunity to ask the author about the ending to "Angels Demons," which had been troubling him for some time.
"Could someone actually survive by using a cape as a parachute when they jumped out of a helicopter?" my husband, also a writer, asked after introducing himself.
(This photo was taken outside a private "Angels & Demons" screening he hosted at the Portsmouth (NH) Music Hall. We weren't invited.)
Even though I agree with Husband No. 1 that Robert Langdon's cape escape stretches the limits of believability, I also understand how liberating it can be to make up stories about whatever you want. Writing experts often advise authors to "write what you know." But how interesting are the things Pat Remick and most writers know? Maybe it's better to follow the advice of those who instead say "write what you can imagine." And if someone questions your story, you can always be like Dan Brown and respond, "Well, first of all, it's a novel."
For a former reporter well-schooled in the "get it first, but get it right" school of journalism, writing mostly from imagination does require a giant leap of faith. I admit it's sometimes difficult to ignore my news training when I'm writing fiction, which can result in spending far too much of my writing time researching minutiae for short stories and my novel-in-progress.
Maybe we should all take a lesson from Dan Brown's phenomenal success: If writers can tell a great story, readers are more likely to be forgiving when it comes to the pesky details or nagging doubts about the credibility of a plot.
On the other hand, I often think that if we were to put some of the bizarre/outlandish/improbable things that happen in real life into a novel, editors would most likely reject it on grounds the plot was implausible. The John Edwards affair/downfall is a great example. Who would believe that a man running for president of the United States and whose wife has terminal cancer would be running around with some videographer he supposedly met in a bar? The believability index really plummets when you add in the angle that an Edwards aide and his young family sheltered the candidate's pregnant mistress. "You've got to be kidding" would be the normal response.
But here's how some of the writing experts might explain it: "Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."
What do you think? Does fiction have to make sense?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Winner is...
by Wilfred Bereswill
In case you weren't watching, the USA Hockey team just tied the gold medal game against Canada with 30 seconds left in the game. We're going into overtime.
But it's time to announce the winner of The Working Stiffs Flash Fiction February Contest.
It was very difficult to choose. I did consider input from the rest of the Working Stiffs who commented privately to me.
AND THE WINNER IS....
DRUMROLL PLEASE.
EVELYN DAVID
Congratulations, Evelyn. Please email your information to me at wbereswill@wbereswill,com, If you'd like your copy of A REASON FOR DYING personalized let me know. I will take a week or so for me to get it mailed since I'm getting ready to leave for Portland, OR for the week.
And here is Evelyn's story.
"If you have to die, February is the best month for it."
Mac Sullivan, private detective, and best friend of the man cleaning the trocar, raised a skeptical brow. "O'Herlihy's running a big casket sale?"
Jeff O'Herlihy tossed his rubber gloves in a hazard receptacle. "I was thinking more about death being an acceptable excuse for failing to buy a Valentine's gift for one's wife."
"You forgot–"
"Not me." Jeff pointed towards the body he'd just prepped. "Cops say his wife didn't fully appreciate the lukewarm six-pack and package of beef jerky."
"Jerky isn't cheap. No excuse for the warm beer though." Mac stopped holding up the doorway and took a few steps into the room. "She supposed to have carved the heart?"
He looked again at the crude design scraped into the dead man's chest. Definitely a heart design, even if the point skewed to the right.
"That's their working theory. Her prints were on the murder weapon. She hasn't admitted anything."
"The woman I saw upstairs, filling out the forms?"
"Yep. She's out on bail, but the cops say it's an open and shut case."
Mac shook his head. "More open I'd say. The wife's a lefty."
In case you weren't watching, the USA Hockey team just tied the gold medal game against Canada with 30 seconds left in the game. We're going into overtime.
But it's time to announce the winner of The Working Stiffs Flash Fiction February Contest.
It was very difficult to choose. I did consider input from the rest of the Working Stiffs who commented privately to me.
AND THE WINNER IS....
DRUMROLL PLEASE.
EVELYN DAVID
Congratulations, Evelyn. Please email your information to me at wbereswill@wbereswill,com, If you'd like your copy of A REASON FOR DYING personalized let me know. I will take a week or so for me to get it mailed since I'm getting ready to leave for Portland, OR for the week.
And here is Evelyn's story.
"If you have to die, February is the best month for it."
Mac Sullivan, private detective, and best friend of the man cleaning the trocar, raised a skeptical brow. "O'Herlihy's running a big casket sale?"
Jeff O'Herlihy tossed his rubber gloves in a hazard receptacle. "I was thinking more about death being an acceptable excuse for failing to buy a Valentine's gift for one's wife."
"You forgot–"
"Not me." Jeff pointed towards the body he'd just prepped. "Cops say his wife didn't fully appreciate the lukewarm six-pack and package of beef jerky."
"Jerky isn't cheap. No excuse for the warm beer though." Mac stopped holding up the doorway and took a few steps into the room. "She supposed to have carved the heart?"
He looked again at the crude design scraped into the dead man's chest. Definitely a heart design, even if the point skewed to the right.
"That's their working theory. Her prints were on the murder weapon. She hasn't admitted anything."
"The woman I saw upstairs, filling out the forms?"
"Yep. She's out on bail, but the cops say it's an open and shut case."
Mac shook his head. "More open I'd say. The wife's a lefty."
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Golden Years?
Hi Everyone!
I’d like to introduce myself; I’m Laurie, and I’m pleased to join the Working Stiffs as a contributor. I also would like to thank the Working Stiffs for welcoming me.
This is a metamorphosis of sorts . . . last year on this exact same Friday morning in February, I went to work and turned in my inventory -- complete with credentials, weapon, raid gear, handcuffs, vest and laptop. It was by far one of the oddest days I have ever experienced. After working at the same post of duty as a criminal investigator since the age of twenty-two, I would not return after I left at the end of the day.
Who knew then that one year later, I would be in the process of writing the first draft of a traditional mystery, and here with the Working Stiffs?
When I woke up that February morning a year ago, it wasn’t what I previously imagined my last day of work to feel like. I wasn’t giddy as I had imagined I would be -- doing cartwheels, jumping up and down, or hooting and hollering. No, instead I was strangely quiet. To say that the day was surreal is an understatement.
Over the years, I had seen other agents clean out their desks, turn in their gear and retire to the land of “sunshine and lollipops.” At least, I thought they did. Now one year later, and strange as it might sound, I don’t know if it has yet sunk in. I am retired? Really? No, that can’t be right, I think, as I shake my head. In fact, I still get excited for a brief moment at the thought of an upcoming legal holiday and a day off work . . . until I remind myself that I am retired and a legal holiday is now like any other day.
Perhaps it is because I didn’t give myself the time to just sit back and enjoy the “sunny and relaxing” days of retirement, which, by the way, is somewhat hard to do in March in northeastern Ohio. No, instead I immediately started writing lists and planning what to do next. I quickly tired of people asking me how I was spending my time after retirement: “Did I have a new job?” I felt uneasy that for the first time in my life, I was doing…nothing.
First off, I was too young (in my mind) to be retired. When contemplating retirement and weighing the pros and cons, I hadn’t considered this con. I didn’t know then that merely saying I was retired would somehow make me feel older. “Retirees” receive discounts on their cups of coffee and movie admissions and young people gently hold open their doors. Chronologically, I don’t qualify for any of those amenities. However, merely stating that I was a retiree made me feel as though I should.
To sum this all up (before I make myself feel any older), on this, my one-year retirement anniversary, it feels a little bit like a divorce. A year later, I’m still adjusting to the separation, but I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. I’m learning its okay to sometimes “just be,” and retirement doesn’t need to signify age. Instead it’s a wonderful opportunity to revisit childhood ambitions, previously not pursued.
I have always harbored a desire to write and since my retirement, that’s what I’ve been doing. However, since I haven’t had anything published, I feel a little awkward saying I’m a writer and when asked, I say I’m retired.
The next time someone asks me “what I do,” I would like to instead say -- I’m, you guessed it …writing.
What do you think? Can I say I’m a writer even though I’m new to writing?
I’d like to introduce myself; I’m Laurie, and I’m pleased to join the Working Stiffs as a contributor. I also would like to thank the Working Stiffs for welcoming me.
This is a metamorphosis of sorts . . . last year on this exact same Friday morning in February, I went to work and turned in my inventory -- complete with credentials, weapon, raid gear, handcuffs, vest and laptop. It was by far one of the oddest days I have ever experienced. After working at the same post of duty as a criminal investigator since the age of twenty-two, I would not return after I left at the end of the day.
Who knew then that one year later, I would be in the process of writing the first draft of a traditional mystery, and here with the Working Stiffs?
When I woke up that February morning a year ago, it wasn’t what I previously imagined my last day of work to feel like. I wasn’t giddy as I had imagined I would be -- doing cartwheels, jumping up and down, or hooting and hollering. No, instead I was strangely quiet. To say that the day was surreal is an understatement.
Over the years, I had seen other agents clean out their desks, turn in their gear and retire to the land of “sunshine and lollipops.” At least, I thought they did. Now one year later, and strange as it might sound, I don’t know if it has yet sunk in. I am retired? Really? No, that can’t be right, I think, as I shake my head. In fact, I still get excited for a brief moment at the thought of an upcoming legal holiday and a day off work . . . until I remind myself that I am retired and a legal holiday is now like any other day.
Perhaps it is because I didn’t give myself the time to just sit back and enjoy the “sunny and relaxing” days of retirement, which, by the way, is somewhat hard to do in March in northeastern Ohio. No, instead I immediately started writing lists and planning what to do next. I quickly tired of people asking me how I was spending my time after retirement: “Did I have a new job?” I felt uneasy that for the first time in my life, I was doing…nothing.
First off, I was too young (in my mind) to be retired. When contemplating retirement and weighing the pros and cons, I hadn’t considered this con. I didn’t know then that merely saying I was retired would somehow make me feel older. “Retirees” receive discounts on their cups of coffee and movie admissions and young people gently hold open their doors. Chronologically, I don’t qualify for any of those amenities. However, merely stating that I was a retiree made me feel as though I should.
To sum this all up (before I make myself feel any older), on this, my one-year retirement anniversary, it feels a little bit like a divorce. A year later, I’m still adjusting to the separation, but I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. I’m learning its okay to sometimes “just be,” and retirement doesn’t need to signify age. Instead it’s a wonderful opportunity to revisit childhood ambitions, previously not pursued.
I have always harbored a desire to write and since my retirement, that’s what I’ve been doing. However, since I haven’t had anything published, I feel a little awkward saying I’m a writer and when asked, I say I’m retired.
The next time someone asks me “what I do,” I would like to instead say -- I’m, you guessed it …writing.
What do you think? Can I say I’m a writer even though I’m new to writing?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Your Chance to Blow Stuff Up
Friend of the Working Stiffs, Lee Lofland stops by to tell us about an event that no crime writer should miss: the Writer's Police Academy.
What is the Writer's Police Academy?
The Writers' Police Academy was an idea that came to me as a result of stumbling through bad police information in books written by some of my favorite authors.
I really wanted writers to have the opportunity to experience first-hand what's it's like to be a police officer, not just sit in a hotel meeting room that's that far too hot, or way too cold, and listen to a bunch of us retired cops talking about the good old days when we arrested every Joe Billy Bob that came down out of the hills on Saturday night to whoop it up. I wanted writers to see and feel things that activate their senses, not just read that when an officer sits, the flesh on his side is sometimes pinched between their Kevlar vest and gun belt. Talented people who create stories should actually see the flash of a concussion grenade and feel the heat from a burning building. They need to hear the yelling and screaming as SWAT officers kick in a door when they enter a building searching for an armed murder suspect. That's how stories come alive, from experience, not from watching Barney Miller reruns, and Castle.
Attendees of the Writers' Police Academy will be doing all those things—facing old ladies with guns, seeing burning buildings, arresting bad guys and taking them down, smelling the after-effects of explosions, seeing the effects of pepperspray and Tasers, and more. Never before has there been anything like this. We're very fortunate to have the opportunity to offer this event, especially at a real, working police/fire/EMS academy. And the classes and workshops are taught by actual police academy instructors!
I've been fortunate to have the assistance of a fantastic planning committee—Susan Greene, Nancy Kattenfeld, Lynette Hampton, and Mari Freeman, members of SinC, MWA, RWA, and local romance writers chapters. We wouldn't be able to pull this off without them.
Arranging this mega-event has been a ton of hard, hard, work, because not only do we have the usual logistics to work out, we also have the added worries of lining up real police officers, academy instructors, actual police equipment, canines, bomb experts, jail cells, police cars, weapons, lab equipment...well, you get the idea. And these people DO NOT work regular hours! This event is the real deal, not a watered down citizens police academy.
What can attendees expect to get out of the weekend?
Easy answer. Lots! I've based the majority of workshops and classes on questions and requests I've read on many blogs, writers loops and groups—the things writers want to learn. See, I've been listening to you guys! It's going to be a fast-paced weekend, but an extremely fun weekend. And the best part of the Writers' Police Academy is that it's a hands-on event. Attendees will actually be learning police techniques, such as handcuffing and fingerprinting. We'll also be spending time in an actual crime lab, investigating and reconstructing a real automobile accident, learning how to take down and arrest bad guys, extinguishing fires, conducting building searches, performing searches in real jail cells, investigating homicides, learning about weapons, training on real firearms interactive simulators...oh, the list goes on, and on. We'll also have exhibits and demos set up by local law enforcement agencies, and those officers will be on hand to answer questions about their booths.
We have an excellent staff on board for this years' event, a staff with many years of public safety instruction under their belt. In addition to our regular instructors, ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan, former CHP officer Verna Dreisbach, Rick Helms, and me, we are pleased to introduce the staff of the Guilford Technical Community College police and fire academy:
GTCC Instructors
Eric Holloman, Criminal Justice Department Chair - Accident Reconstruction
Susan Pons, Assoicate Professor Criminal Justice - Crime Lab (fingerprint and impression evidence)
Mike MacIntosh - Bomb and HazMat Expert
Jerry Coble, Ass't Fire Marshall for Guilford County - Arson Investigation/Basic Firefighting
Jerry Cooper - FATS Training/Taser Demo
Deputy Catherine Netter - Jail searches
Bob Walters, BLET Coordinator; Lt. Randy Shepherd; Deputy Vic Maynard - Police Equipment and Tools
Guilford County Sheriff's Department - Defensive Tactics, Handcuffing, and Arrest Techniques
Bill Lanning, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice - Criminal Psychology
- Oh, we're leaving no stone unturned. We've also lined up a special musical guest to entertain us during the Friday night reception, after which I'll be presenting a night owl presentation that'll take you through a very chilling homicide case, complete with crime scene photos and actual statements from the murderer. I'm very close to this case and have been to the scenes and interviewed all the key players. There's even a paranormal aspect to this case that truly unbelievable!
Tell us about your keynote speaker.
What's not to tell. Jeffery Deaver is one of the all time masters of mystery and suspense. We're fortunate to have him with us as our keynote speaker for the Saturday night banquet. He's not only a wonderful speaker, he's a superb writing teacher. His messages always inspire everyone to write to the outer edges of their capabilities.
What about other speakers/teachers, etc.?
I've already listed a few of the other instructors, and we'll be adding a few more top experts as the event draws near. However, I must mention our very special guest, author and NYC senior medical examiner Jonathan Hayes. Jonathan is one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable experts around. He'll be captivating us with an extraordinary presentation on autopsy in the main auditorium on Friday afternoon. Jonathan will also be presenting other workshops throughout the event.
How can writers sign up?
It's easy. Visit our website at http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/index.html and follow the simple registration instructions. We've extended the low early registration rate due to many request to wait until after royalty and tax checks arrive.
Anything else we need to know?
Yes. If you can only attend one event this year, the Writers' Police Academy should be it. Writers conferences come and go—they're fun and I love them, but they're the same old, same old. But you may never have this opportunity again. There's not another place in the world where writers can train like real police officers. We've put all our energy into making this event special. We want everyone to learn and have tons of fun while doing so.
This will be an action-packed weekend. In fact, we're starting Saturday off with a BANG (literally). Do yourself a favor, and be there. We'll need help putting out that fire!
The Writers' Police Academy (remember, this isn't a conference) will be held at the Public Safety Academy on the campus of Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C., which is just outside of Greensboro, and very near Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. The event kicks off on Friday September 24, 2010 and ends Sunday at noon after a fun de-briefing session.
By the way, the Mayberry Days celebration takes place the same weekend—I planned it that way—so if you'd like to drive on over while you're in the area, you can see Thelma Lou, The Darlings, Otis, Floyd, Karen Knotts (Don Knotts' daughter), the old Mayberry Jail and sheriff's car, the Andy Griffith Museum, and more. You can even participate in the apple peeling contest or enjoy a pork chop sandwich in the diner while the Mayberry patrol car zips by on the street outside. You might even see Otis stumble by on his way to the courthouse. Oh, there are mule-powered wagon tours of the town, too. It's a real hoot!
We're also hosting, as part of the academy, The Don Knotts Silver Bullet Writing Contest and the Krispy Kreme Golden Donut Award for best short fiction.
The Don Knotts Silver Bullet novel contest is named after, of course, Don Knotts from the Andy Griffith Show. Don's daughter, Karen, is a good friend of my blog, The Graveyard Shift. She once wrote a wonderful article for the blog about her famous dad, and even supplied us with a couple of never-before-seen photographs.
Karen has graciously offered to let us use her father's name in connection with the contest, which is open to everyone and anyone. The Silver Bullet award will be presented for the best manuscript presented to our panel of judges—literary agent Kimberly Cameron of Kimberley Cameron and Associates, literary agent Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, publisher Benjamin LeRoy of Tyrus Books, and Poison Pen Press acquisitions editor, Annette S. Rogers. The winner will not only receive the physical award, they'll also be afforded the opportunity to submit their entire manuscript for possible representation by one of the agents, or for publication by the publishers. Of course, the winning manuscript must be worthy of publication for the publishers to accept it.
The Krispy Kreme Golden Donut contest is a short story contest. Writers can submit a story about a common theme ( a photo by photographer Sunday Kaminski) similar to the monthly contest seen in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. There's a reason for that particular rule, and we'll tell all a bit later. (Sunday Kaminski's work has been featured in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and quite frequently on my blog). Details for both contests can be found on the WPA website.
And.. The profits from the academy will be going to The Criminal Justice Foundation of Guilford Technical Community College (Public Safety). The foundation is in place to help fund basic and in-service training needs for police officers. The money we donate to the foundation will be used for equipment, teaching supplies, and other necessary items that simply aren't available through normal state funding. Times are tough for education, especially when it comes to training law enforcement officers. And this particular group of police instructors have a special connection to writers. Many of them are the experts who've answered police-related questions, either directly or through me, or they've provided some bit of information for my book and blog.
I would like to take time to thank our sponsors, if I may.
Writers Digest
The Oak Ridge Boys
TNT's hit show Southland
Singer/recording artist Joe Bonsall, The Oak Ridge Boys
Author Deborah LeBlanc
Just Write Sites
They've all been wonderful and quite generous with their contributions, and with donations for the academy attendees. In fact, The Oak Ridge Boys have donated a really nice raffle basket containing several of their CD's, signed books, and other neat items. Joe Bonsall (the voice on Elvira) and the Oak Ridge Boys' manager/agent Kathy Harris have been simply wonderful. We've been in almost daily contact since they first signed on. What a great group of people!
Writers Digest has gone all out with their generous offerings. One of the items they've donated for the raffle is a complete set of the new Howdunit series, which includes Poisons (Serita Stevens and Anne Bannon), Police Procedure and Investigation (my book), and Forensics (D.P. Lyle). The new Weapons book may be out by that time as well. Just Write Sites designed, hosts, and maintains our fabulous website (they also take care of my website and blog), and author Deborah LeBlanc dug really, really deep into her bank account.
For details and updates, please visit the Writers' Police Academy website at http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/index.html
Or, visit The Graveyard Shift at http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/ for more of the same.
If anyone has questions they can contact me at lofland32@msn.com.
See you in September!
(portions of this interview are a reprint from Murderati)
Thanks, Lee!
What is the Writer's Police Academy?
The Writers' Police Academy was an idea that came to me as a result of stumbling through bad police information in books written by some of my favorite authors.
I really wanted writers to have the opportunity to experience first-hand what's it's like to be a police officer, not just sit in a hotel meeting room that's that far too hot, or way too cold, and listen to a bunch of us retired cops talking about the good old days when we arrested every Joe Billy Bob that came down out of the hills on Saturday night to whoop it up. I wanted writers to see and feel things that activate their senses, not just read that when an officer sits, the flesh on his side is sometimes pinched between their Kevlar vest and gun belt. Talented people who create stories should actually see the flash of a concussion grenade and feel the heat from a burning building. They need to hear the yelling and screaming as SWAT officers kick in a door when they enter a building searching for an armed murder suspect. That's how stories come alive, from experience, not from watching Barney Miller reruns, and Castle.
Attendees of the Writers' Police Academy will be doing all those things—facing old ladies with guns, seeing burning buildings, arresting bad guys and taking them down, smelling the after-effects of explosions, seeing the effects of pepperspray and Tasers, and more. Never before has there been anything like this. We're very fortunate to have the opportunity to offer this event, especially at a real, working police/fire/EMS academy. And the classes and workshops are taught by actual police academy instructors!
I've been fortunate to have the assistance of a fantastic planning committee—Susan Greene, Nancy Kattenfeld, Lynette Hampton, and Mari Freeman, members of SinC, MWA, RWA, and local romance writers chapters. We wouldn't be able to pull this off without them.
Arranging this mega-event has been a ton of hard, hard, work, because not only do we have the usual logistics to work out, we also have the added worries of lining up real police officers, academy instructors, actual police equipment, canines, bomb experts, jail cells, police cars, weapons, lab equipment...well, you get the idea. And these people DO NOT work regular hours! This event is the real deal, not a watered down citizens police academy.
What can attendees expect to get out of the weekend?
Easy answer. Lots! I've based the majority of workshops and classes on questions and requests I've read on many blogs, writers loops and groups—the things writers want to learn. See, I've been listening to you guys! It's going to be a fast-paced weekend, but an extremely fun weekend. And the best part of the Writers' Police Academy is that it's a hands-on event. Attendees will actually be learning police techniques, such as handcuffing and fingerprinting. We'll also be spending time in an actual crime lab, investigating and reconstructing a real automobile accident, learning how to take down and arrest bad guys, extinguishing fires, conducting building searches, performing searches in real jail cells, investigating homicides, learning about weapons, training on real firearms interactive simulators...oh, the list goes on, and on. We'll also have exhibits and demos set up by local law enforcement agencies, and those officers will be on hand to answer questions about their booths.
We have an excellent staff on board for this years' event, a staff with many years of public safety instruction under their belt. In addition to our regular instructors, ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan, former CHP officer Verna Dreisbach, Rick Helms, and me, we are pleased to introduce the staff of the Guilford Technical Community College police and fire academy:
GTCC Instructors
Eric Holloman, Criminal Justice Department Chair - Accident Reconstruction
Susan Pons, Assoicate Professor Criminal Justice - Crime Lab (fingerprint and impression evidence)
Mike MacIntosh - Bomb and HazMat Expert
Jerry Coble, Ass't Fire Marshall for Guilford County - Arson Investigation/Basic Firefighting
Jerry Cooper - FATS Training/Taser Demo
Deputy Catherine Netter - Jail searches
Bob Walters, BLET Coordinator; Lt. Randy Shepherd; Deputy Vic Maynard - Police Equipment and Tools
Guilford County Sheriff's Department - Defensive Tactics, Handcuffing, and Arrest Techniques
Bill Lanning, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice - Criminal Psychology
- Oh, we're leaving no stone unturned. We've also lined up a special musical guest to entertain us during the Friday night reception, after which I'll be presenting a night owl presentation that'll take you through a very chilling homicide case, complete with crime scene photos and actual statements from the murderer. I'm very close to this case and have been to the scenes and interviewed all the key players. There's even a paranormal aspect to this case that truly unbelievable!
Tell us about your keynote speaker.
What's not to tell. Jeffery Deaver is one of the all time masters of mystery and suspense. We're fortunate to have him with us as our keynote speaker for the Saturday night banquet. He's not only a wonderful speaker, he's a superb writing teacher. His messages always inspire everyone to write to the outer edges of their capabilities.
What about other speakers/teachers, etc.?
I've already listed a few of the other instructors, and we'll be adding a few more top experts as the event draws near. However, I must mention our very special guest, author and NYC senior medical examiner Jonathan Hayes. Jonathan is one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable experts around. He'll be captivating us with an extraordinary presentation on autopsy in the main auditorium on Friday afternoon. Jonathan will also be presenting other workshops throughout the event.
How can writers sign up?
It's easy. Visit our website at http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/index.html and follow the simple registration instructions. We've extended the low early registration rate due to many request to wait until after royalty and tax checks arrive.
Anything else we need to know?
Yes. If you can only attend one event this year, the Writers' Police Academy should be it. Writers conferences come and go—they're fun and I love them, but they're the same old, same old. But you may never have this opportunity again. There's not another place in the world where writers can train like real police officers. We've put all our energy into making this event special. We want everyone to learn and have tons of fun while doing so.
This will be an action-packed weekend. In fact, we're starting Saturday off with a BANG (literally). Do yourself a favor, and be there. We'll need help putting out that fire!
The Writers' Police Academy (remember, this isn't a conference) will be held at the Public Safety Academy on the campus of Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C., which is just outside of Greensboro, and very near Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. The event kicks off on Friday September 24, 2010 and ends Sunday at noon after a fun de-briefing session.
By the way, the Mayberry Days celebration takes place the same weekend—I planned it that way—so if you'd like to drive on over while you're in the area, you can see Thelma Lou, The Darlings, Otis, Floyd, Karen Knotts (Don Knotts' daughter), the old Mayberry Jail and sheriff's car, the Andy Griffith Museum, and more. You can even participate in the apple peeling contest or enjoy a pork chop sandwich in the diner while the Mayberry patrol car zips by on the street outside. You might even see Otis stumble by on his way to the courthouse. Oh, there are mule-powered wagon tours of the town, too. It's a real hoot!
We're also hosting, as part of the academy, The Don Knotts Silver Bullet Writing Contest and the Krispy Kreme Golden Donut Award for best short fiction.
The Don Knotts Silver Bullet novel contest is named after, of course, Don Knotts from the Andy Griffith Show. Don's daughter, Karen, is a good friend of my blog, The Graveyard Shift. She once wrote a wonderful article for the blog about her famous dad, and even supplied us with a couple of never-before-seen photographs.
Karen has graciously offered to let us use her father's name in connection with the contest, which is open to everyone and anyone. The Silver Bullet award will be presented for the best manuscript presented to our panel of judges—literary agent Kimberly Cameron of Kimberley Cameron and Associates, literary agent Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, publisher Benjamin LeRoy of Tyrus Books, and Poison Pen Press acquisitions editor, Annette S. Rogers. The winner will not only receive the physical award, they'll also be afforded the opportunity to submit their entire manuscript for possible representation by one of the agents, or for publication by the publishers. Of course, the winning manuscript must be worthy of publication for the publishers to accept it.
The Krispy Kreme Golden Donut contest is a short story contest. Writers can submit a story about a common theme ( a photo by photographer Sunday Kaminski) similar to the monthly contest seen in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. There's a reason for that particular rule, and we'll tell all a bit later. (Sunday Kaminski's work has been featured in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and quite frequently on my blog). Details for both contests can be found on the WPA website.
And.. The profits from the academy will be going to The Criminal Justice Foundation of Guilford Technical Community College (Public Safety). The foundation is in place to help fund basic and in-service training needs for police officers. The money we donate to the foundation will be used for equipment, teaching supplies, and other necessary items that simply aren't available through normal state funding. Times are tough for education, especially when it comes to training law enforcement officers. And this particular group of police instructors have a special connection to writers. Many of them are the experts who've answered police-related questions, either directly or through me, or they've provided some bit of information for my book and blog.
I would like to take time to thank our sponsors, if I may.
Writers Digest
The Oak Ridge Boys
TNT's hit show Southland
Singer/recording artist Joe Bonsall, The Oak Ridge Boys
Author Deborah LeBlanc
Just Write Sites
They've all been wonderful and quite generous with their contributions, and with donations for the academy attendees. In fact, The Oak Ridge Boys have donated a really nice raffle basket containing several of their CD's, signed books, and other neat items. Joe Bonsall (the voice on Elvira) and the Oak Ridge Boys' manager/agent Kathy Harris have been simply wonderful. We've been in almost daily contact since they first signed on. What a great group of people!
Writers Digest has gone all out with their generous offerings. One of the items they've donated for the raffle is a complete set of the new Howdunit series, which includes Poisons (Serita Stevens and Anne Bannon), Police Procedure and Investigation (my book), and Forensics (D.P. Lyle). The new Weapons book may be out by that time as well. Just Write Sites designed, hosts, and maintains our fabulous website (they also take care of my website and blog), and author Deborah LeBlanc dug really, really deep into her bank account.
For details and updates, please visit the Writers' Police Academy website at http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/index.html
Or, visit The Graveyard Shift at http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/ for more of the same.
If anyone has questions they can contact me at lofland32@msn.com.
See you in September!
(portions of this interview are a reprint from Murderati)
Thanks, Lee!
An Age Old Debate
by Annette Dashofy
The debate rages on. Everyone has an opinion and believes theirs is the right one. There is little compromise.
Am I talking about the health care debate? Republican vs. democrat?
No. I’m talking Mac vs. PC.
I own two computers: one a desktop; the other a laptop. Both are Compaq and both get along with each other. That makes life a little easier for me when I move files from the desktop in my office to the laptop for travel. Unfortunately, both are five years old. More and more, I’m becoming aware of their age. Technology marches on and has left my machines in the dust.
So, I’m window shopping. Not necessarily Window shopping, though. A few months back I wandered into an Apple store in a local mall. The sales guy was great and answered all my stupid questions. The laptops were shiny and pretty. The desktops were sleek and compact.
I was convinced. I wanted a Mac. I’d have to save longer to afford one, but you get what you pay for. Right???
But I’ve heard good things about Windows 7 and have played with the display models at Wal-Mart. Slick. And familiar. I knew what buttons to click to do what I wanted it to do.
I was convinced. I could afford BOTH a new desktop and a new laptop for what I’d pay for one of them if I went with Mac.
Oh, but friends of mine who have a Mac told me they’d never ever go back to a PC. The Mac is far superior.
Okay. Maybe I should rethink this.
My cousin, who is my techie expert, told me NOOOOO. Stay with a PC. He gave me a list of specifics to get in a new computer.
He’s my techie expert. I have to go with what he says. If I don’t, who will answer my barrage of emailed questions?
And now another friend has started raving about her Mac…
ARGH!!!!
So I bring my debate to the Stiffs and our back bloggers. What do you use? Mac? PC? How about Windows 7? And do you use a laptop or a desktop? Or both? What advice can you give a technologically challenged computer shopper? I need to be able to write and keep my financial records and work with my photographs. I don’t do games. I don’t design clothes or make movies.
Advice, folks. I need good, solid advice. HELP!
The debate rages on. Everyone has an opinion and believes theirs is the right one. There is little compromise.
Am I talking about the health care debate? Republican vs. democrat?
No. I’m talking Mac vs. PC.
I own two computers: one a desktop; the other a laptop. Both are Compaq and both get along with each other. That makes life a little easier for me when I move files from the desktop in my office to the laptop for travel. Unfortunately, both are five years old. More and more, I’m becoming aware of their age. Technology marches on and has left my machines in the dust.
So, I’m window shopping. Not necessarily Window shopping, though. A few months back I wandered into an Apple store in a local mall. The sales guy was great and answered all my stupid questions. The laptops were shiny and pretty. The desktops were sleek and compact.
I was convinced. I wanted a Mac. I’d have to save longer to afford one, but you get what you pay for. Right???
But I’ve heard good things about Windows 7 and have played with the display models at Wal-Mart. Slick. And familiar. I knew what buttons to click to do what I wanted it to do.
I was convinced. I could afford BOTH a new desktop and a new laptop for what I’d pay for one of them if I went with Mac.
Oh, but friends of mine who have a Mac told me they’d never ever go back to a PC. The Mac is far superior.
Okay. Maybe I should rethink this.
My cousin, who is my techie expert, told me NOOOOO. Stay with a PC. He gave me a list of specifics to get in a new computer.
He’s my techie expert. I have to go with what he says. If I don’t, who will answer my barrage of emailed questions?
And now another friend has started raving about her Mac…
ARGH!!!!
So I bring my debate to the Stiffs and our back bloggers. What do you use? Mac? PC? How about Windows 7? And do you use a laptop or a desktop? Or both? What advice can you give a technologically challenged computer shopper? I need to be able to write and keep my financial records and work with my photographs. I don’t do games. I don’t design clothes or make movies.
Advice, folks. I need good, solid advice. HELP!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
On Short Stories and the Slush Pile
Came across this in a twitter link this morning, and since we're discussing short stories this month, I thought I'd share it. Enjoy!
http://writersdigest.com/article/21_Tips_to_Get_Out_of_the_Slush_Pile
http://writersdigest.com/article/21_Tips_to_Get_Out_of_the_Slush_Pile
Monday, February 22, 2010
THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT
by Gina Sestak
Regular readers know by now that we Working Stiffs have declared February to be the month of short fiction. It is, after all, the shortest month.
I have mixed feelings about short fiction myself. In earlier times, writers were often paid by the word, so maybe things did get a bit out of hand. I mean, why write "sunset" when you could cover an entire page with descriptions of the blazing glory of vermilion skies and even the elusive green flash? Writers have to make a living.
We may be going too far in the other directions, though. According to the Arcade Dictionary of Word Origins, "short" derives from the Indo-European root "*sker-", meaning to "cut off," which is also the source of our word "shear." The trick to writing short seems to be the ability to pare away unnecessary verbiage without cutting off so much that the story is left short, flat and meaningless.
It's easy to write, "Jacob fell," but readers are left wondering why he fell, where he fell, whether he fell from a tree or from grace, etc. We need to keep enough detail to convey not only that information but to set a mood and make us care enough to want to read about Jacob in the first place. Otherwise, fiction becomes just as incomprehensible as real life.
So what do you think?
[By the way, you know the longest word in the English language, right? It's "smiles" because there's a mile between the first and last letter. :-)]
Regular readers know by now that we Working Stiffs have declared February to be the month of short fiction. It is, after all, the shortest month.
I have mixed feelings about short fiction myself. In earlier times, writers were often paid by the word, so maybe things did get a bit out of hand. I mean, why write "sunset" when you could cover an entire page with descriptions of the blazing glory of vermilion skies and even the elusive green flash? Writers have to make a living.
We may be going too far in the other directions, though. According to the Arcade Dictionary of Word Origins, "short" derives from the Indo-European root "*sker-", meaning to "cut off," which is also the source of our word "shear." The trick to writing short seems to be the ability to pare away unnecessary verbiage without cutting off so much that the story is left short, flat and meaningless.
It's easy to write, "Jacob fell," but readers are left wondering why he fell, where he fell, whether he fell from a tree or from grace, etc. We need to keep enough detail to convey not only that information but to set a mood and make us care enough to want to read about Jacob in the first place. Otherwise, fiction becomes just as incomprehensible as real life.
So what do you think?
[By the way, you know the longest word in the English language, right? It's "smiles" because there's a mile between the first and last letter. :-)]
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sunshine in St. Lou
By Willy B
So, it's Saturday and the sun came out in St. Lou.
So, I put the top down on the Volvo
and let the breeze blow through my hair,
So, it's Saturday and the sun came out in St. Lou.
And took it for a nice long walk,
and let the breeze blow through my hair,
Got some odd stares,
But had a great time. I forgot how nice it felt.
Friday, February 19, 2010
I’m Getting Published
By Patricia Gulley
I think. Do I actually have the contract, sign sealed and delivered, in my hand? No. But I have had several emails from editors and art director talking like it’s a done deal. I even have a publishing date of April 1. So, I’m going ahead and announcing it.
I’M E-PUBLISHED and, yes, there will be a paper POD book, Print on Demand, not Publish on Demand.
The title is DOWNSIZED TO DEATH and is about the branch manager of a nationwide travel company facing downsizing and office closure. If that isn’t stressful enough, her state supervisor is murdered, the agent in her office fired by that supervisor is missing, and the company fears bad publicity over an ex-employee going postal. What’s a woman to do? Find the killer? Isn’t that the cop’s job? No! Find the missing agent and prove her innocent-see head office, no postal ex-employee. Like it can be that easy!
So, I’ve been editing and fixing, and have started looking for reviews. Boy is that daunting for eBooks. I know it is hard enough for new authors with traditionally published books, especially if the publishing house doesn’t search those reviewers out for you. It’s an experience. Then get on Facebook—Yeeeee Uck. Was that an experience best left untalked about. Does that thing work? Does Twitter or My Space? And I’ve found an ad place that doesn’t sound to difficult or expensive.
So here I am, fellow stiffs, a soon to be published author. Somehow I thought it would feel different. Not yet. What do you think?
I think. Do I actually have the contract, sign sealed and delivered, in my hand? No. But I have had several emails from editors and art director talking like it’s a done deal. I even have a publishing date of April 1. So, I’m going ahead and announcing it.
I’M E-PUBLISHED and, yes, there will be a paper POD book, Print on Demand, not Publish on Demand.
The title is DOWNSIZED TO DEATH and is about the branch manager of a nationwide travel company facing downsizing and office closure. If that isn’t stressful enough, her state supervisor is murdered, the agent in her office fired by that supervisor is missing, and the company fears bad publicity over an ex-employee going postal. What’s a woman to do? Find the killer? Isn’t that the cop’s job? No! Find the missing agent and prove her innocent-see head office, no postal ex-employee. Like it can be that easy!
So, I’ve been editing and fixing, and have started looking for reviews. Boy is that daunting for eBooks. I know it is hard enough for new authors with traditionally published books, especially if the publishing house doesn’t search those reviewers out for you. It’s an experience. Then get on Facebook—Yeeeee Uck. Was that an experience best left untalked about. Does that thing work? Does Twitter or My Space? And I’ve found an ad place that doesn’t sound to difficult or expensive.
So here I am, fellow stiffs, a soon to be published author. Somehow I thought it would feel different. Not yet. What do you think?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
When Theme and Setting Intertwine
We at Working Stiffs are thrilled to have the fabulous Nancy Martin visit today! Thanks, Nancy, for joining us!
By Nancy Martin
A while back, the NY Times said that all mysteries told pretty much the same story. What set one apart from another is the setting.
Do I agree with this opinion? Not entirely, but I like to read about a setting so vivid that it’s becomes a character in the book—one that has an impact on the story and in the end helps illuminate the theme of the book.
With that in mind, let me tell you about winter in Pittsburgh.
First of all, we’ve had enough snow this year that my husband broke down and looked at airfare to San Juan. (He looked, that’s all—didn’t buy!) He snapped when the pile where we toss the snow from the driveway buried the nearby birdfeeder.
The snow is bad enough, but now comes (cue Darth Vadar music) pothole season.
Pittsburgh has more miles of bad road and bridge decks than most cities in the world. Our roads climb steep, icy hills and dead-end at weed-infested vacant lots into which dirty piles of snow are repeatedly plowed. Our valiant road crews spread tons of salt and cinders that eat away at asphalt and concrete so that potholes get a foothold early and then spread like virulent cancer. If you take your eyes off the street for a second--blam!—you can hit a crater the size of your sofa. The guys in the garage laugh as they hoist your car up to look at the damage underneath, but they’re careful to make sure you’re safe when you pull out onto the street again.
Two years ago, it was cheerful laughter in just such a workplace—combined with the pride those tire guys took in their jobs--that got me thinking.
People in Pittsburgh take their work seriously. Hot steel mills aren’t so distant in our past that we can’t put just as much muscle and sweat and commitment into the work we do now. And yet we’re soft-hearted enough to help me with my alignment and Mrs. Donatelli carry her groceries across the icy supermarket parking lot.
Years before we moved here, my husband and I drove our minivan to the city to see a traveling Broadway musical. We had our two tween daughters in the vehicle---all dressed up in their white tights and mary janes. But they had wanted to wear their dress-up coats over their outfits, not warm jackets. We hit a pothole on the highway and immediately knew we had a flat tire. With the wind whipping icy snow against the windshield, we pulled over. As cars whipped by and my husband—dressed in a suit--pulled the jack from the van, I dialed AAA on my cell phone and chivvied the kids out into the snow so the vehicle wouldn’t be too heavy to jack up.
A minute later, a guy wearing a couple of sweatshirts and grease-stained overalls pulled over and insisted on changing the tire for us. While he worked, two more strangers stopped and asked if we needed help. To me, that’s Pittsburgh. Guys who will stop and change a tire in a blizzard for a family of dingalings who didn’t bring their warm coats.
I try to communicate that good-natured, workingclass heroism in my new book, OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION. (Due in stores—egad!—in two weeks!) I’d been struggling for years to figure out what kind of story might best be set in Pittsburgh. I thought long and hard about the social issues I could capture using this setting. What kind of characters would best illustrate the values this city embodies? I came up with tough-talking, hard-working Roxy Abruzzo who runs a salvage business out of her Monster Truck, but also helps friends in trouble—particularly friends who can’t go to the police for justice. She takes the reader on the kind of tour of Pittsburgh that the guidebooks don’t feature.
Does the setting fit the themes of Roxy’s story? I’ll be interested to see if you think I pulled it off. Come back and let me know.
Meanwhile, tell me about other books in which the theme and setting are intertwined. I’m thinking specifically of Richard Price’s LUSH LIFE, a book that captures New York so accurately you feel as if you’re peeling back the layers of the neighborhood just as the characters slowly reveal one nuance after another. And Denise Mina’s Glasgow is vivid in her book THE DEAD HOUR, a story in which the protagonist’s hard won successes at work and in life seem ideally set in that tough city.
What about you? Any books with vivid settings come to mind?
Visit Nancy's wonderful Web site: http://www.nancymartinmysteries.com/
Go here to read an excerpt of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION: http://www.nancymartinmysteries.com/Roxy.html
To order an autographed copy of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION:
Nancy Martin is the author of nearly 50 popular fiction novels, including the award-winning and bestselling Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series. Nancy serves on the board of Sisters in Crime, and was awarded the 2009 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for mystery writing.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Researching Snow
by Annette Dashofy
My current WIP is set in mid January. In the snow. And the cold. As I’ve been shoveling my driveway (frequently!) in recent weeks, I keep telling myself that it’s research. The stinging pain in my toes as the cold seeps through the Gortex lining of my boots; the shiver as the snow I brush from my car finds its way down my collar and under my clothes; the bite of the wind on my face. It’s all finding its way into my story.
Note to self: Set future stories in the summer!
A manuscript I wrote several years back (the one that resides in a dark drawer in some undisclosed location) was set in Las Vegas. I’d never been there—still haven’t—but I collected photos and descriptions of the place. I researched it to the point that I held up my end of a conversation about the city with someone who frequented it. I worked on that story in the middle of winter, too. When I headed off to write, I’d say, “I’m going to Las Vegas,” and everyone knew what I meant.
It was nice. I could fool myself into thinking I was there. Warm. Sunshine. (Wistful sigh)
This month has definitely provided a wealth of material for anyone writing about winter. From the three feet of snow to the three foot icicles. Not to mention power outages. I’ve often bragged about my skills at “roughing it.” But roughing it in your own living room isn’t all its cracked up to be.
We were lucky. Our electric only went out for 11 hours. Others around us were without power for over a week. I’m surprised the murder rate hasn’t skyrocketed. Or maybe it has and the bodies are simply buried beneath the snow.
I stopped at a local station for gas. I felt dwarfed—my little Saturn parked amidst a half a dozen monster-sized pickups, all loaded with red gasoline containers. And not a smile on any of the faces of the drivers. At Wal-Mart, the weary shoppers were attired in bulky camo and Carhartts. The women wore no makeup and sported hair that hadn’t seen a shower in days.
Glum. The local population is glum.
And ask me about my Valentine’s Day. Okay, I’ll tell you. I held the aluminum extension ladder while my darling husband knocked down icicles and chiseled ice blocks out of our gutters. While I was holding the ladder, the ice was flying and falling and thunking into me head. My shoulders. My back. OUCH. At one point, I yelled up to Darling Husband and said, “You know…some girls get taken out to dinner on Valentine’s Day.” He grunted and kept on chiseling.
Yes, life is a bit challenging here in southwestern Pennsylvania at the moment. And I can’t even escape into my writing, because it’s more of the same. Snow covers the clues and wipes out the evidence. Eventually, in my story, the snow melts and reveals a clue or two. I’m hoping that it will eventually melt here, too, and reveal everyone’s good humor. I know it’s there somewhere.
So what is the environment of your WIP like? Does it take you somewhere sunny? Or are you, like me, unable to escape the wintery beast even in your prose?
Note to self: Set future stories in the summer!
A manuscript I wrote several years back (the one that resides in a dark drawer in some undisclosed location) was set in Las Vegas. I’d never been there—still haven’t—but I collected photos and descriptions of the place. I researched it to the point that I held up my end of a conversation about the city with someone who frequented it. I worked on that story in the middle of winter, too. When I headed off to write, I’d say, “I’m going to Las Vegas,” and everyone knew what I meant.
It was nice. I could fool myself into thinking I was there. Warm. Sunshine. (Wistful sigh)
This month has definitely provided a wealth of material for anyone writing about winter. From the three feet of snow to the three foot icicles. Not to mention power outages. I’ve often bragged about my skills at “roughing it.” But roughing it in your own living room isn’t all its cracked up to be.
We were lucky. Our electric only went out for 11 hours. Others around us were without power for over a week. I’m surprised the murder rate hasn’t skyrocketed. Or maybe it has and the bodies are simply buried beneath the snow.
I stopped at a local station for gas. I felt dwarfed—my little Saturn parked amidst a half a dozen monster-sized pickups, all loaded with red gasoline containers. And not a smile on any of the faces of the drivers. At Wal-Mart, the weary shoppers were attired in bulky camo and Carhartts. The women wore no makeup and sported hair that hadn’t seen a shower in days.
Glum. The local population is glum.
And ask me about my Valentine’s Day. Okay, I’ll tell you. I held the aluminum extension ladder while my darling husband knocked down icicles and chiseled ice blocks out of our gutters. While I was holding the ladder, the ice was flying and falling and thunking into me head. My shoulders. My back. OUCH. At one point, I yelled up to Darling Husband and said, “You know…some girls get taken out to dinner on Valentine’s Day.” He grunted and kept on chiseling.
Yes, life is a bit challenging here in southwestern Pennsylvania at the moment. And I can’t even escape into my writing, because it’s more of the same. Snow covers the clues and wipes out the evidence. Eventually, in my story, the snow melts and reveals a clue or two. I’m hoping that it will eventually melt here, too, and reveal everyone’s good humor. I know it’s there somewhere.
So what is the environment of your WIP like? Does it take you somewhere sunny? Or are you, like me, unable to escape the wintery beast even in your prose?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
God is in the Details
By Martha Reed
The subject of my blog today might sound a little obvious but I come from a society where people do not carry handguns in their day-to-day living. When I lived in Texas I did occasionally see a locked gun cabinet as part of someone’s living room furniture and I did fire a shotgun once at a wide open field just to see what recoil felt like but it occurred to me while I was writing Chapter 25 this morning that my main character, Sarah Jarad, lived with a man who carried a gun as part of his everyday business accoutrement because John Jarad is a police Lieutenant.
This concept stumped me for two good long cups of coffee this morning because I had to consider a whole new train of thought: what would it be like to live with someone who went to work armed? What type of rules would Sarah and John agree on about carrying a semi-automatic weapon into their household? Does Sarah even allow the gun in the house? If not, is John comfortable about leaving his gun locked up outside in the lockbox of his truck every night?
This gun revelation caused all kinds of kerfluffle in my manuscript this morning mostly because I had to spend a couple of hours researching my knowledge of a ‘gun’. Oh, sure, I knew what a gun was but I had never had to define it down to specificity before. I knew about Colt .45s because of the beer and Dirty Harry’s .44 Make My Day Magnum but every detail I really knew about guns I had learned from television. Never before had I considered the very real and important details like make or model, caliber, drift & drop, trigger pull, handgrips or manageable recoil.
This research opened up a whole new world to me this morning and thank goodness for the internet because doing this much research ten years ago would have taken me a month. Now not only can I surf through police blogs to read the passionate arguments for and against each type I can also visit YouTube and more than likely find a video of someone demonstrating each exact make and model.
The upshot is that once I realized which gun John would carry (do you want to know?) it allowed me to go back through my manuscript and tighten it up in places I would never have considered before I understood how important this gun detail was. I realize now that John would be comfortable with carrying a gun, he would practice with his, and after reading through all those blogs I came to realize that gun collectors are fascinated by the mechanics of their particular piece of weaponry. This opened up a whole other line of conversation between the officers at the station and when I was done editing it in I sat still in amazement at how this one detail added so much color to the whole story.
Gustave Flaubert (1821-80) was quoted as saying ‘Le bon Dieu est dans le detail’ (God is in the details). I think he was on to something. How much of writing is in taking the proper amount of time to really think things all the way through? Have you read anything lately that offered a detail in it so perfectly in tune with the story that you were left with the detail even when the reading was through? I did. Recently I finished Phil Rickman’s The Cure of Souls (a Merrily Watkins Mystery) and I know I’ll never look at the color yellow the same way again. How about you?
The subject of my blog today might sound a little obvious but I come from a society where people do not carry handguns in their day-to-day living. When I lived in Texas I did occasionally see a locked gun cabinet as part of someone’s living room furniture and I did fire a shotgun once at a wide open field just to see what recoil felt like but it occurred to me while I was writing Chapter 25 this morning that my main character, Sarah Jarad, lived with a man who carried a gun as part of his everyday business accoutrement because John Jarad is a police Lieutenant.
This concept stumped me for two good long cups of coffee this morning because I had to consider a whole new train of thought: what would it be like to live with someone who went to work armed? What type of rules would Sarah and John agree on about carrying a semi-automatic weapon into their household? Does Sarah even allow the gun in the house? If not, is John comfortable about leaving his gun locked up outside in the lockbox of his truck every night?
This gun revelation caused all kinds of kerfluffle in my manuscript this morning mostly because I had to spend a couple of hours researching my knowledge of a ‘gun’. Oh, sure, I knew what a gun was but I had never had to define it down to specificity before. I knew about Colt .45s because of the beer and Dirty Harry’s .44 Make My Day Magnum but every detail I really knew about guns I had learned from television. Never before had I considered the very real and important details like make or model, caliber, drift & drop, trigger pull, handgrips or manageable recoil.
This research opened up a whole new world to me this morning and thank goodness for the internet because doing this much research ten years ago would have taken me a month. Now not only can I surf through police blogs to read the passionate arguments for and against each type I can also visit YouTube and more than likely find a video of someone demonstrating each exact make and model.
The upshot is that once I realized which gun John would carry (do you want to know?) it allowed me to go back through my manuscript and tighten it up in places I would never have considered before I understood how important this gun detail was. I realize now that John would be comfortable with carrying a gun, he would practice with his, and after reading through all those blogs I came to realize that gun collectors are fascinated by the mechanics of their particular piece of weaponry. This opened up a whole other line of conversation between the officers at the station and when I was done editing it in I sat still in amazement at how this one detail added so much color to the whole story.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Future of Short
By
I am sorry about the shortened blog, but round 2 of a nasty sinus infection has flared up and kept me prisoner in the house all weekend and drained my energy.
First a gentle reminder to post your 200-word short story that starts with the sentence, “If you have to die, February is the best month for it.” On the line is a signed copy of A Reason For Dying.
I was hoping to talk about what I see as a bit of a resurgence in short story markets. With self-publishing routes such as Smashwords, and digital formats like Kindle, E-Reader and now the iPad, I can see the potential for easy downloads and quick reads. Once you set up an account on Amazon or iTunes, purchasing is as simple as a single click. I know several publishers, like Echelon Press, are beginning to venture into the world of short stories and recently our friends over at The Kill Zone put out a collection of short stories called Fresh Kills.
MP3 format (digital music) changed the music industry. Not only did it make music portable, but it allowed us to buy a single song for about a buck instead of investing in a whole album that cost a whole lot more and never listening to half of the music you paid for. It also opened up the industry to rampant piracy.
A digital short story is kind of like buying that single song. The stories are a fraction of the cost of a novel, the read is quick and can be purchased in a click. By the way, as authors, we will be battling piracy. Thousands upon thousands of books are out there already on P2P file sharing systems and I’m betting the authors don’t even know about it. I had a friend do an experiment. I asked her to search and find a specific book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. It didn’t take her long to have an MS Word document in hand with the entire book. Before I deleted it, I checked the quality. It was a flawless copy of 736 pages.
So as we move into the digital age of publishing, we may as well take all of the advantages, because we will be fighting the dark side that goes along with it.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Flash Fiction Contest
We moved this post to the top to encourage more entries to our contest. Two readers have posted their stories in the comments and both are awesome! Please read below and enter your own stories. (Note that the first contest to guess the Working Stiff is over.)
We Working Stiffs have a little surprise for you in February. We're calling this month February Shorts, or Flash Fiction February if you prefer alliteration. Either way, we think it'll be lots of fun!
In addition to fantastic guest bloggers Hank Phillippi Ryan on Thursday, February 4th, and Nancy Martin on Thursday, February 18th, we'll be blogging about shorts. No, not the ones you wear! (Although knowing this gang, that's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.) Since February is the shortest month, we thought we'd have some short story themed posts throughout the month.
And that's not all.
We have not one, but TWO contests. Jennie Bentley and Wilfred Bereswill have generously offered to donate a book to the winner. One winner will get Jennie's book, the other will get Will's.
The first contest will be on Friday February 5th. On Jennie's post that day, there will be 200 word stories that begin, "If you have to die, February is the best month for it." The catch? The stories will be anonymous. You won't know who wrote them! Your job will be to figure out which Stiff wrote what story. The reader who gets the most right, wins a book! In case of a tie, Jennie will pick the winner at random from those who tied.
We also have a second contest. Using the same opening sentence, "If you have to die, February is the best month for it," post your own 200 word story in the Comments. (Stories may be less than 200 words, but any that are over will be disqualified.) We'll gather them throughout the month, and Working Stiffs will pick a winner.
POST YOUR 200 WORD STORY IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST.
We Working Stiffs have a little surprise for you in February. We're calling this month February Shorts, or Flash Fiction February if you prefer alliteration. Either way, we think it'll be lots of fun!
In addition to fantastic guest bloggers Hank Phillippi Ryan on Thursday, February 4th, and Nancy Martin on Thursday, February 18th, we'll be blogging about shorts. No, not the ones you wear! (Although knowing this gang, that's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.) Since February is the shortest month, we thought we'd have some short story themed posts throughout the month.And that's not all.
We have not one, but TWO contests. Jennie Bentley and Wilfred Bereswill have generously offered to donate a book to the winner. One winner will get Jennie's book, the other will get Will's.
The first contest will be on Friday February 5th. On Jennie's post that day, there will be 200 word stories that begin, "If you have to die, February is the best month for it." The catch? The stories will be anonymous. You won't know who wrote them! Your job will be to figure out which Stiff wrote what story. The reader who gets the most right, wins a book! In case of a tie, Jennie will pick the winner at random from those who tied.
We also have a second contest. Using the same opening sentence, "If you have to die, February is the best month for it," post your own 200 word story in the Comments. (Stories may be less than 200 words, but any that are over will be disqualified.) We'll gather them throughout the month, and Working Stiffs will pick a winner.
POST YOUR 200 WORD STORY IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Love is in the Air...
by Jennie Bentley
Happy upcoming Valentine's Day, y'all!
Looks like we don't have a scheduled blogger today, so I'm gonna hijack the blog for a minute to ask a question.
I recently sent the manuscript for DIY-4 to my editor. It'll be released sometime in late 2010, just in case you wanted to know. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a release this year.
Before I sent it to the publisher, of course, it got vetted by my agent, who reads and critiques all my manuscripts.
Her comment on this one? "It's very smoochy. Have you ever considered writing straight romance?"
Um... yeah. I considered writing straight romance once. It's about eleven years ago now, before I started giving birth and any semblance of romance left my life. I even won my local RWA chapter's annual contest one year, with a manuscript called "A Fine Romance." (Yes, like the song. LOVE the song!)
Romance is the biggest selling slice of genre fiction out there. It had more than 13% market share at last count. And yes, I do read romance. Paranormal and contemporary, mostly. A little bit historical. Besides that, I like a good love story in everything I read and write. Love makes the world go round.
So in honor of Valentine's Day, let's all share our favorite fictional love stories. Who makes you melt, personally? Scarlett and Rhett? Russ and Clare? Ron and Hermione? Lord Peter and Harriet? Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet?
Have a lovely, romantic day, everyone!
Happy upcoming Valentine's Day, y'all!
Looks like we don't have a scheduled blogger today, so I'm gonna hijack the blog for a minute to ask a question.
I recently sent the manuscript for DIY-4 to my editor. It'll be released sometime in late 2010, just in case you wanted to know. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a release this year.
Before I sent it to the publisher, of course, it got vetted by my agent, who reads and critiques all my manuscripts.
Her comment on this one? "It's very smoochy. Have you ever considered writing straight romance?"
Um... yeah. I considered writing straight romance once. It's about eleven years ago now, before I started giving birth and any semblance of romance left my life. I even won my local RWA chapter's annual contest one year, with a manuscript called "A Fine Romance." (Yes, like the song. LOVE the song!)
Romance is the biggest selling slice of genre fiction out there. It had more than 13% market share at last count. And yes, I do read romance. Paranormal and contemporary, mostly. A little bit historical. Besides that, I like a good love story in everything I read and write. Love makes the world go round.
So in honor of Valentine's Day, let's all share our favorite fictional love stories. Who makes you melt, personally? Scarlett and Rhett? Russ and Clare? Ron and Hermione? Lord Peter and Harriet? Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet?
Have a lovely, romantic day, everyone!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Distracted
by Joyce
I've come to the conclusion that I'm a fuddy-duddy (how do you spell that, anyway?). I like things to be a certain way, to be done at a certain time, etc. When something comes up to screw all that up, I can't seem to get anything done.
I've been rolling right along with my WIP, sticking pretty close to my goal of writing an average of four pages a day, or about 20 pages a week. But there has been so much distraction this week, that I've only written five pages in four days. You would think that with almost three feet of snow piled up and nowhere to go, that I'd have the whole frickin' book finished.
Part of the problem is that I'm used to being home alone during the day. Just me and the cat. Peace and quiet. Lots of writing time with no interruptions. This week I've had more than my share of interruptions. Number one son is home from DC for a few days, which is turning into all week because the district is shut down. Number two son, who works at the University of Pittsburgh has been home because Pitt is closed. And to top it off, hubby was home on Wednesday because of the snow. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my family dearly, but they ARE a distraction. It's hard to concentrate on a scene when someone wants to know how to work the washer or can't find anything to eat even though the refrigerator is full.
I've found the best thing to do is just "go with the flow," although I hate that cliche. On Tuesday night, we even went out to dinner and came home and played a board game. I didn't think about the WIP once. On Wednesday, I did squeeze in some writing while the "boys" were out shoveling snow off the driveway.
So maybe I'm not such a fuddy-duddy after all.
How do you deal with distractions and interruptions? Go with the flow? Or go crazy?
Reminder: Don't forget to enter our 200 word flash fiction contest running until the end of the month. Go here for details and to post your story!
I've come to the conclusion that I'm a fuddy-duddy (how do you spell that, anyway?). I like things to be a certain way, to be done at a certain time, etc. When something comes up to screw all that up, I can't seem to get anything done.
I've been rolling right along with my WIP, sticking pretty close to my goal of writing an average of four pages a day, or about 20 pages a week. But there has been so much distraction this week, that I've only written five pages in four days. You would think that with almost three feet of snow piled up and nowhere to go, that I'd have the whole frickin' book finished.
Part of the problem is that I'm used to being home alone during the day. Just me and the cat. Peace and quiet. Lots of writing time with no interruptions. This week I've had more than my share of interruptions. Number one son is home from DC for a few days, which is turning into all week because the district is shut down. Number two son, who works at the University of Pittsburgh has been home because Pitt is closed. And to top it off, hubby was home on Wednesday because of the snow. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my family dearly, but they ARE a distraction. It's hard to concentrate on a scene when someone wants to know how to work the washer or can't find anything to eat even though the refrigerator is full.
I've found the best thing to do is just "go with the flow," although I hate that cliche. On Tuesday night, we even went out to dinner and came home and played a board game. I didn't think about the WIP once. On Wednesday, I did squeeze in some writing while the "boys" were out shoveling snow off the driveway.
So maybe I'm not such a fuddy-duddy after all.
How do you deal with distractions and interruptions? Go with the flow? Or go crazy?
Reminder: Don't forget to enter our 200 word flash fiction contest running until the end of the month. Go here for details and to post your story!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Plotting a Conference
(A note from Annette) Some of you may recall that last year this time I was up to my eyeballs coordinating the 2009 Pennwriters Conference. Today, I’m pleased to introduce guest blogger, Ayleen Stellhorn who is this year’s conference coordinator and does it with much more grace and serenity (externally, at least!) than I could muster.
Freelancer Ayleen Stellhorn writes for local and regional publications and edits books and magazine articles for the hobby and craft market. A member of Pennwriters, she is coordinating their 23rd Annual Conference, May 14-16, at the Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA.
I recently took down all the 3x5 cards mapping out my current WIP and replaced them with index cards for the 2010 Pennwriters Conference. Funny how my Act I, Act II, and Act III column heads were so easily replaced by Friday, Saturday, and Sunday tags. And all those chapter/scene designations down the left edge? They’re now one-hour time slots for workshops.
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about a roadmap — granted mine’s a really big, extremely anal-retentive roadmap — that helps me stay on track and think clearer when it comes to making my way from A to Z.
I tried using Excel to plot out the conference. It didn’t work. Having to navigate to the correct file and then scroll down to see all the pieces was too frustrating and time consuming. There’s just no easy way to capture a 4x6-foot piece of wall on a 17x12-inch computer screen.
May as well face it… I like being able to see the whole picture in one glance. I blame my first boss. One wall of her office was filled with a matrix that let us see an entire year’s worth of magazine issues and articles at one time. Want to know who’s writing the beginning carving article for the July issue? Just look at the wall.
When I moved on to be a book editor, I applied the same principle to my spring and fall lists. Want to know who’s authoring the scroll saw pattern book next fall? Just look at the wall. No tinkering with computer screens or file folders necessary.
So now the 2010 conference schedule is up on the wall. Does the agent/editor class I need to switch to time slot 9:15 to 10:15 on Friday morning conflict with the how-to class during that same time? I just look at the wall.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to take the wall with me when I head to Lancaster for the conference the spring.
To learn more about the 2010 Pennwriters Conference, visit http://www.pennwriters.com/, check out their Facebook page at Pennwriters Annual Writers Conference, or e-mail conference2010@pennwriters.com. Friday’s keynote is best-selling author James Rollins. Visiting agents and editors are Janet Reid, Jenny Bent, Jennifer Jackson, Miriam Kriss, Alex Glass, Barbara Lalicki, Leis Pederson, and David Pomerico.
Freelancer Ayleen Stellhorn writes for local and regional publications and edits books and magazine articles for the hobby and craft market. A member of Pennwriters, she is coordinating their 23rd Annual Conference, May 14-16, at the Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA.
Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about a roadmap — granted mine’s a really big, extremely anal-retentive roadmap — that helps me stay on track and think clearer when it comes to making my way from A to Z.
I tried using Excel to plot out the conference. It didn’t work. Having to navigate to the correct file and then scroll down to see all the pieces was too frustrating and time consuming. There’s just no easy way to capture a 4x6-foot piece of wall on a 17x12-inch computer screen.
May as well face it… I like being able to see the whole picture in one glance. I blame my first boss. One wall of her office was filled with a matrix that let us see an entire year’s worth of magazine issues and articles at one time. Want to know who’s writing the beginning carving article for the July issue? Just look at the wall.
When I moved on to be a book editor, I applied the same principle to my spring and fall lists. Want to know who’s authoring the scroll saw pattern book next fall? Just look at the wall. No tinkering with computer screens or file folders necessary.
So now the 2010 conference schedule is up on the wall. Does the agent/editor class I need to switch to time slot 9:15 to 10:15 on Friday morning conflict with the how-to class during that same time? I just look at the wall.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to take the wall with me when I head to Lancaster for the conference the spring.
To learn more about the 2010 Pennwriters Conference, visit http://www.pennwriters.com/, check out their Facebook page at Pennwriters Annual Writers Conference, or e-mail conference2010@pennwriters.com. Friday’s keynote is best-selling author James Rollins. Visiting agents and editors are Janet Reid, Jenny Bent, Jennifer Jackson, Miriam Kriss, Alex Glass, Barbara Lalicki, Leis Pederson, and David Pomerico.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
A Brief Announcement...
Breaking in on Pat's day just for a moment to post the winners of Hank Phillippi Ryan's books.
The winners of any TIME book of their choice:
Debbie
Grammy09
Ramona
Gina
MaryQ
And the winner of PRIME TIME FACE TIME and AIR TIME and a tote bag!
Dana King
You can can email Hank directly through “contact” in her website and send her your mailing addresses. http://www.hankphillippiryan.com/
Congratulations!!! Now back to your regularly scheduled blog...
The winners of any TIME book of their choice:
Debbie
Grammy09
Ramona
Gina
MaryQ
And the winner of PRIME TIME FACE TIME and AIR TIME and a tote bag!
Dana King
You can can email Hank directly through “contact” in her website and send her your mailing addresses. http://www.hankphillippiryan.com/
Congratulations!!! Now back to your regularly scheduled blog...
It can take a long time to write short
As you know, short fiction is our theme this month and after spending a month working on two short stories, I have to echo Wilfred Bereswell’s earlier post that creating a short story can constitute some of the hardest writing you’ll ever do.
I've been rising early to write before work (and believe me, spending your first 1.5 hours awake thinking about murder sets an interesting tone for a workday) and devoting several hours on weekends. It hasn't been easy and the task has consumed me, because when I'm not at my desk, I think about the stories and where they should go next – or where they shouldn’t have gone before.
Telling a story, developing characters the reader will care about, and creating a sense of place are essential elements that require words – and sometimes lots of ‘em. So if there’s a tight limit, such as 3,500 words for one of my stories, finishing a first draft still means many more hours of work ahead to pare it down without losing the essence – or important details. This process of “killing your darlings” -- deleting words or phrases that took hours, and sometimes days or weeks, to craft – is excruciatingl.
My friend Kathleen, who delights in writing very short stories, often brags that if she were to divide the meager payment she receives for publication in an anthology by the number of words written, she’s the highest paid author per-word in that book. Last year, however, her 246-word story was not enough to maintain that distinction because someone else wrote a piece that was only 64 words long.
Think about it – an entire story in 64 words. That’s shorter than most conversations. It’s also fewer words than are being allowed in the flash fiction challenges here. Fortunately, I suspect flash fiction readers have lower expectations about what such a short story has to contain in so few words to be credible, which helps, but all the elements still need to be there.
As you probably know, there are those who contend powerful stories can be told in even fewer words. According to writing legend, Ernest Hemingway once wrote one in six words: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
I've seen writing challenges urging participants to duplicate this feat, including asking them to describe their lives in just six words. Smith Magazine has been publishing collections of these six-word memoirs over the past few years. The latest version is "It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure.”
Being someone who often writes far too many words, I especially admire the ability of these writers to sum up their lives in so few of them. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Well, I thought it was funny” – Stephen Colbert
“At least I never voted Republican” – Tony Kushner
“I picked passion. Now I'm poor. -- Kathleen E. Whitlock
“So would you believe me anyway?” -- James Frey
If you had to sum up your life in six words, what would they be?
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